


Summer Sweetheart

by greatjam



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-06 23:58:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13422360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greatjam/pseuds/greatjam
Summary: Every summer, Alfred Jones travels to England to spend his vacation at his grandmother's town. After meeting a breathtaking Brit named Arthur, he realizes that this year is going to be different.





	1. Chapter 1

Alfred felt his heart beating more rapidly in excitement when he thought of the upcoming journey to England. Every summer he travelled to the little town where his grandmother lived to spend his summer vacation. The happiest memories he had were from the town of Soundstone. It was a bizarre name indeed, but Alfred loved everything about it.

His luggage was getting filled with various clothes and comic books as he hummed some cheesy love song that was currently playing on the radio. A smile that Alfred couldn’t restrain formed on his lips. He had a lot of reasons to be happy right now.

For a seventeen-year-old teenager Alfred Jones had experienced much. His parents had divorced before he had turned five and Alfred’s father disappeared out of sight.Practically Alfred was completely raised by his mother. They weren’t close, unlike what anyone would have thought. His mother pretty much ignored him.

The only one actually close to Alfred was his grandmother Catherine. She always listened to his miseries, respected his choices and had a gentle smile on her lips. His grandmother was not the usual type that bakes every day and spoils her grandchildren with money and gifts. Often she asked Alfred to help her with the housekeeping, cleaning or going to the shop whenever they needed something. Alfred did not mind at all, he loved lending a hand to people, especially grandma. She was kind without having to give anything. Every time Alfred received something from her, it was big and expensive. These presents were treasured greatly by him. The tickets to England were also bought by his grandmother. The blue-eyed youth just couldn’t thank her enough.

This summer was going to be special. Alfred felt it in his lungs. He was going to turn eighteen in England – and not just that, grandmother had said that she had a surprise for him. Whatever it was, Alfred knew that he would love it.

“Hello again England!” shouted the young man who finally exited the country’s airport.

He took some air into his lungs and let the British atmosphere tingle in him. He almost forgot that there was a bus for him to hop into. Luckily Alfred made it there on time. The bus ride was going to be dull, but he had his MP3 along for some entertainment.

Alfred got awakened when the bus stopped. When he looked through the windows, he saw that the evening was dark already.

“Hey, lad, we are in Soundstone”, the driver shouted friendly from the front seat. Quickly he grabbed his luggage and walked dazedly out of the vehicle. Just a few lights were lit in the town. Good that Alfred knew the place even better than his jeans’ pockets so he recognised his grandmother's house immediately. Soon he was at her front door and was welcomed warmly, regardless of it being late.

“Let’s get you sleeping, Alfred dear, before anything. I will show you the surprise on tomorrow morning”, Catherine said when Alfred stepped in while slightly swaying from tiredness. Since Alfred was her only grandchild, he had his own room in the house. He got asleep the moment he crashed down on the bed. Catherine chuckled as she left the room.

  
The sunrays thought that it was alright to invade Alfred’s room through the big window and attack on the sleeping American so early. Outside the birds had prepared a splendid concert for Alfred to wake up. Sadly the teen was not amused. Soon he forgave them when he smelled the most wonderful smell to exist on mornings like this: bacon! As quick as he could he wore proper clothes and went devouring the praised British breakfast that was cooked by his grandmother.

“Good morning, dear. I see that you slept well. Why won’t we go looking at your surprise outside?” she asked with an impatient grin.

It didn’t take long until they both were standing on the front yard, looking at a brand-new, shining bike. When Alfred finally found out what his present was this time, his mouth was agape with amazement.

“It’s… Awesome! Thank you so much!” he rejoiced as he studied the bike. Grandmother did not do anything but smile.

“I’m glad that you like it. Would you be so sweet and go to the store with it? Here’s the shopping list and money”, she said as she bestowed the said things to the youth. With a wide grin the American took off towards the store.

He was not in a rush; that’s why Alfred was very slowly getting forward. Rather than concentrating on the main task, he liked to look around and admire the beautiful buildings. He even saw some countryside near the town. As he continued bicycling in the speed near to a snail’s, Alfred got closer and closer to a place what would turn his life upside-down.

Soft humming filled the air and distracted the American to stop and see where it came from. There was a young man, maybe in the same age as Alfred, standing on a decorated balcony. The man was watering flowers that nicely embellished the place. To describe this Englishman, who was shorter than Alfred, he was extremely handsome. He had mellow-looking blond hair and thick black eyebrows that made his face unique yet attractive. His clothes were quite plain with a white t-shirt and loose blue jeans. Alfred did not notice that he had been basically gawking at him until the singing paused.

“Hello, um… Am I doing something to gain your stare…?” said the man. The balcony was just a few feet to the boy who stood there holding his bike. The blush of embarrassment flooded on Alfred’s face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, dude. Didn’t mean to… I mean, you have a nice balcony”, he tried to explain.

“Thank you…?” The Brit was nonplussed. It was not everyday that someone complimented his flowers. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you possibly from America, judging by the accent?” the man asked.

“Yeah, but I’m here for the summer since my grandma’s living here”, Alfred grinned. Maybe this guy could be his new friend?

He was met with a gentle smile. “You’re not a tourist, then. I see. My name is Arthur."

Arthur crossed his arms on the balcony railing and leant to it. It made the American's heart flutter a little.

“I’m Alfred Jones”, said the American as he got a little closer to the balcony with the bicycle. Arthur looked at Alfred for an intense moment.

"I like the colour of your eyes. It reminds me of something. The wild flowers of a meadow, perhaps," said the Brit. The compliment made Alfred smile.

He looked back in the eyes of the Englishman. A rare color of green adorned his eyes. To Alfred they reminded him of the first blades of grass that informed people that the spring has come. Those heralds were the American’s one of the biggest delights after a long, cold winter. The boy noticed himself completely captivated by his eyes.

Then he remembered something very important.

“I need to get some groceries, but um... It would be nice to chat more some time," Alfred said. He did not want to bother Arthur too much and keep grandmother waiting all day. So the two gave each other light-hearted goodbyes and went back to their lives with their hearts pounding in fascination by the other.

This summer was not going to be uneventful for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an old story from 2014. I edited it a little, you can read the original from here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10358813/1/Summer-Sweetheart  
> I had some lines here and there that I wanted to rewrite. It was a lot of trouble to express my ideas in English back then. I still think it is a bit stiff. I don't remember what I had planned for the plot to be like, but I have some of it written down somewhere.  
> I have 4 chapters, this being the first one.


	2. Chapter 2

When Alfred had been settled in the town after a few days, he couldn’t bear not telling his grandma about Arthur. She was happy for Alfred, who finally found some company and didn’t have to lie on the bed from day to day reading comics. The boy felt something pleasant tingling in his chest and stomach; was it excitement? Waiting patiently for the next day sounded like an impossible task. Alfred couldn't help but smile.

The next day was cloudy, but the sunshine peered occasionally from the clouds to smile for a while and remind that it was there all along. The birds had prepared another concert to wake the American, but it was in vain since he had his eyes open before they even got to start. Alfred jumped on his bike and went towards the apartment house Arthur lived in.

The Englishman was already composedly waiting on the balcony.

”Why don't we go inside and have a cup of tea?”

Alfred was already very fond of that pacifying voice of Arthur's.

The boy jumped over the railing leaving his bike leaning to the balcony’s side. Arthur did not look approving of the American’s choice, but kept his mouth shut and stepped inside gesturing for the boy to come in.

It seemed as there was not a possibility of declining the tea, since the kettle had already boiled the water and the small table held porcelain tableware that had pictures of little painted flowers in soft colors of red and purple.

The apartment itself wasn’t as decorated as the balcony. It was plain and small. There was a dark blue couch with a small coffee table in front of it. In the kitchen waited a table with set porcelain. Next to the kitchen there was a white door with a lock; probably a restroom with a shower. He also saw the door to Arthur’s bedroom.

When Arthur was done pouring tea, they both sat at the table. The gorgeous Brit sipped tea while Alfred thought of a way to politely inform Arthur that he preferred coffee.

“Um, Arthur… I don’t really drink tea, so…” he muttered cautiously, trying to get a contact with his eyes.

“Oh, sorry Alfred. Didn't remember to consider that. Next time I'll remember to have some coffee too, or something else that you prefer”, Arthur smiled softly.

It was quiet in the kitchen. Alfred started hearing loud ticking from a clock hung on the wall. Listening to it for any longer than a few minutes would have made the American crazy. Judging from what he had said, the Englishman didn’t know anyone from the town, so he must have spent a lot of time in his apartment. Was every day like this? Just listening to that annoying clock?

In the States Alfred usually laid on the bed reading or spent time on the internet. Of course he was with his friends, but they weren’t always nice company so Alfred mostly stayed inside the house.

“Hey, can I call you Artie? You can call me Al, if you want”, grinned the American, getting a sudden confused look that changed to a nervous smile.

“I would prefer not be called that...”

“You said you just moved here, right? Where did you live before?” Alfred beamed in a loud voice. He succeeded to break the tense atmosphere and was glad of it.

“I'm from London.”

“London? That’s awesome! What was the life there like?”

“It depends on how you choose to live there. I’d say that it was too hectic”, Arthur said, not sounding enthusiastic about the city. “What is the life like in America?”

Alfred liked that question. For a moment he thought of what he would tell.

“Hmm… It’s different there. The distances between places are quite long, so you have to go everywhere with a car. The States is full of various people around the world, so there's rarely lack of variety in the people you meet. Our family has a detached house, we're quite suburban. I have a brother, Matthew. We aren’t actually related, since my parents divorced and my stepdad from Canada took his son from his earlier marriage, so Mattie’s completely Canadian. We are on good terms with Mattie, because he’s a little brother to me. Oh, by the way, I like hero comics a lot…” the American prattled zealously.

Arthur sipped tea in a calm manner and listened carefully for every word that came out of Alfred’s mouth. He rambled on and on, until he stopped for a moment to think what the question was in the first place.

“You do realise that you talked a lot more about yourself than the country itself?” the Englishman commented playfully, when the boy had finally stopped babbling.

Alfred looked at Arthur, not sure how to react. Then the Brit chuckled sheepishly.

“It’s alright. I like listening when you speak, it reminds me of an eight-year-old who got new toys on Christmas”, he said, and Alfred blushed a little at ‘eight-year-old’.

“Dude, I’m seventeen, soon eighteen!” he pouted. Arthur wasn’t that much older!

“Sorry if I’m being too harsh for your taste. It’s just in my tongue to be a little straight-forward”, the Englishman apologized, not looking too guilty.

Alfred didn't really mind getting teased, especially if it was Arthur.

“It's all right.”

“Is there anything you dream of becoming in the future?" asked Arthur. "Just curious."

“Ah! Well, I like heroes a lot. It’s not really possible to be a one like in the comics, but it would be awesome to save a life sometime, y’know? Helping people is so fun that I’d like to have a job like that. What about you?"

Arthur was almost as young as Alfred, so he still had all the possibilities to do whatever he wanted, the man must have a dream of some sort. The Brit looked thoughtful for quite a time before answering.

"I’m satisfied with my life here. Maybe serving drinks wasn’t the job I dreamt of, but it isn’t bad at all.” He smiled in a way that was hard to interpret whether it was a genuine one.

Alfred looked at the wall clock. He had been staying quite long.

"Grandma said she'd have the dinner ready at this time, so I need to get going", Alfred said, gathering his belongings.

They went to the balcony and Alfred jumped over the railing again to end up on the grass, near the street. He was happy to find that the bike he had left there hadn't gone anywhere.

“Tomorrow, same time, same place?” the boy asked grinning.

“Well, tomorrow I have my shift at the cafe I'm working at," smiled the Brit. “The one near to the shop you buy your food from.”

“Ah, I know the place”, Alfred said. Never had he bothered to go there, though. “When will your shift end?”

Arthur looked a little surprised at the query.

“At three o’clock.”

“Okay! Can you hang out with me after that?”

"It's all right, I suppose..." Arthur said coyly, to which Alfred answered with a grin.

He then got on his bike and headed home. The shorter blond was left standing on the balcony, watching Alfred go.

He was bemused by this boy who had just appeared into his life from nowhere. Alfred made his heart pound with excitement for tomorrow.

A smile formed on Arthur’s face, a real one.


	3. Chapter 3

The sky had gone cloudy.

It was a bright day. The sun was hidden behind the clouds that weren’t ominous like the ones to rain. Obviously it was a consequence of the highly loved days blessed with wonderful sunlight; if not today, the rainy days were not far away from coming back. 

That day was simply another one in England. Summer didn’t mean vacation for everyone.

In a little town like Soundstone, every single thing that happened was soon in the mouths of tea-drinking old ladies, and shortly after that, in the knowledge of the whole town. Alfred’s appearance was not a big gossip, since it had been expected, but Arthur’s had been.

When the young, absolutely handsome man (who was barely 21 years) _moved_ to a shabby little place like Soundstone, it surprised everyone. Every single thing he did was being watched. The girls of all ages were overly excited of this mysterious young man, who was nothing of the kind of men the town had to offer. The people of Soundstone knew each other too well, had always known, but Arthur was out of their reach. That was why everyone tried to get a grasp of him, to get to know the man so he wouldn’t be so big of a mystery.

With his beloved bike the American, Alfred, got in front of the café named ‘Warm Silence’.

It was the center of the youth in the town. All teenagers gathered there for a nice cup of tea or coffee, whatever they preferred.

When people heard that a certain man was working there, the café was even more popular than before.

Since the café was often the scene of local rumors, calling it ‘Warm Silence’ every time was tiring. The town had succeeded to create it a dramatic nickname that was short but descriptive; ‘Sigh’. It had almost been philosophical, because ‘Warm Silence’ got the most thinking of a cold winter that had a house that knew nothing of it; inside danced a fire happily in the fireplace, there were books on a wooden table and on a comfortable armchair sat a man with warm clothes and a scarf, and he drank cocoa. ‘Sigh’ was the silent noise that he made after sipping a little of the drink after a long day.

Well, the café itself was everything else but silent at the moment. Three o’clock was busy time. Eventually the Brit came out of the door, getting greeted happily by Alfred.

“One of a lad you are, watching me like a hawk, waiting for my shift to end”, smirked Arthur as they started walking down the road that led them towards the Englishman’s apartment.

Just laughter came for an answer. Alfred could not hide his amusement by Arthur’s straight-forwardness.

They filled the quiet streets with laughter and jokes. It was actually nice, walking together like this.

Little by little, Alfred felt that Arthur was the friend he had been searching for. Somehow, it did not feel like Arthur was some kind of ‘adult’ and Alfred was a ‘teenager’, they were just Arthur and Alfred.

When they finally had reached the door to Arthur’s apartment, the Brit turned to look at Alfred. The walk had felt like an eternity, a nice one.

The American waited for an ‘I have a lot to do tonight, I’m sorry’ kind of phrase to come.

Well, he had already thought of asking the man to spend another day with him, if not today.

“Hey, aren’t you coming in? I got coffee for you, in case that you come sneaking here as often as now.”

 Alfred raised his glance again to Arthur, but it wasn’t a question, it was a glad answer that beamed from his face without words. Alfred's smile made him blush. The boys jumped over the balcony railing to the apartment and Arthur made the kettle sing.

* * *

 

“And you know, my buddy, Thomas, he once tried flirting with a girl who was super pretty, like a model. No offence, but he’s kinda unattractive. Somehow he still manages to believe that he's the hottest guy in the hoods, he has this massive ego. Of course the chick noticed this, and said: ‘If you get some brain, I’ll get you a girlfriend.’”

They burst out in noisy laughter and if someone had been home in the neighbourhood, they would have been perplexed of the voices coming from the usually silent fellow Englishman’s side.

The kitchen table was filled yet again with porcelain tableware. It was the same from the other day, but Alfred hadn’t even known that it contained so many different vats and containers. There was a nice set of pastries that got the American’s attention when he eyed the table.

They had fun and a lot of jokes to share. Sometimes they got to more serious topics, and Alfred felt a big gust of happiness that Arthur actually enjoyed it. Usually his friends weren't too eager to discuss matters out of gossip and school.

Before the boys noticed, the town was getting ready to sleep and Alfred was in a hurry to get home.

“You’re not eighteen yet, so maybe as a ‘grown-up’ I should walk you home”, the Brit playfully proposed.

"With you being shorter than me?" Alfred joked back, getting a nudge from Arthur.

Soon they were in front of Catherine’s house, and Arthur turned to walk towards his apartment, soon disappearing in the dark.

Alfred’s grandmother hadn't been worried. She just put on a cheeky face when she got to comment on her grandson’s lateness.

“So he’s that boyfriend of yours? That Arthur lad?” she smirked as they both ate evening meal.

“Cut it out, grandma”, he answered with the same kind of grin, because he knew that she was kidding.

“He's not displeasing to the eye, at least", she commented. Alfred really couldn’t believe that grandma was in her fifties, when she acted more like she was his sister.

It was almost midnight when the boy decided to go sleeping. The whole day had been fun, starting from three o’clock. They had not promised of meeting tomorrow too, but Alfred was sure to meet Arthur from Sigh.

It was really wonderful to have a good friend. They had known each other for a week, and he already felt like they had known forever.

If he had to compare this feeling to something, he would say that his life hadn’t even _started_ before this. Maybe it was too early to say things like this, but Alfred was sure of it all.

It felt so surreal, the life in America, now that he had come to England again. His shallow friends, humdrum life and a big void in his chest got him feeling like life was existent only in fiction.

Somehow the life in United States felt like a dream, blurry faces and busy movements everywhere. The love for his country hadn’t gone anywhere, but England was just as home. A warm embrace, filled with love and silence that told more than thousands of words.

But this summer got him living. Living more than in years he had done.

Maybe it felt so good just because he got far away from the hustle that haunted him by the studies in America.

Now he could forget and forgive; he lived more than anyone would imagine in a little town like Soundstone. The world felt much more welcoming and friendly place than Alfred remembered, when there were towns that were peaceful as the clouds on sunny days. There was no hurry, no haste, everything just went on.

You could just spend a day on grass and it wouldn’t matter, because it felt like there was no such a thing as time. The days just passed by, healing little by little all the pain and stress he got before coming to England.

These summers were special to him, because all negativeness would disappear when he stepped out the door of the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't really know why the story about that rejection would be funny, especially to an outsider, but sometimes you just have so much fun that even the slightest, stupidest things make you laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

It was like living the dream with Arthur. They did not have awkward moments. They had become so close that they didn’t need words. Just the presence of the other one was enough to delight the other's day. It was the nicest dream ever, happening in reality. 

Sometimes they would lie on a grass field that felt endless, just watching the clouds fly by. Sometimes they would wait until the sky was dark and the stars appeared, shining mysteriously on the black canvas. And always they would have fun, as long as they were together.

And soon it was the third week of June. Alfred had learnt a lot of things about Arthur. 

If one could see through the sharp words he said, one would notice the kind heart the Englishman had in the right place. He was the type to do things that went mostly unnoticed, as putting chairs under the table, switching off the lights when he went out of the room and carefully placing a blanket over Alfred who had fallen asleep on the couch during a sleepover. 

He was a real gentleman. Not a rich, noble hypocrite, but a man that sincerely thought of others without wanting to have anything in return. Alfred admired this part of Arthur. He was like a hero of everyday life, helping everyone in secret… 

Of course the boy kept his mouth shut about knowing this all, because Arthur got strangely ashamed when he got ‘caught’ of being benevolent like this. 

But of course he had his flaws, too. 

When Arthur didn’t approve of something, he had a deathly glare. If glances could kill, more than half of the human population would be gone by his eyes. 

Those eyes. 

Those usually so lively, calm eyes got strict and his look was so sharp that Alfred wouldn’t be surprised if someone got pierced alive by it.

“Hey, Al?” the Brit looked at him, when they were sitting on a big rock inside the woods that located near to the town. 

It was a sunny day, so the boys had gone outside. 

When it rained, they spent time at Arthur’s apartment, listening to raindrops. It was an unwritten rule to be silent during rain, so they read books, watched movies, anything that didn’t cause too much noise, so they could hear the dropping water. 

Well, now the weather was filled with warm light. The woods were twilit, since the surrounding trees happened to create soft shadows over the ground. A rock stood out between the trees, and it was perfect to sit on.

The American boy turned to look at Arthur and tilted his head in a quizzical manner.

“Some time ago I happened to hear a story of this town’s name”, he continued. “Have you heard of it?”

“No, I haven’t”, answered Alfred.

“This rock we’re sitting on is the original ‘Soundstone’.” Arthur kept a pause that highlighted those words. “Whilst this town is just a little more than hundred years old, it has its own legend. It all starts from this place.” 

Alfred noticed that he wasn’t supposed to comment anything. 

“There has always been human settlement surrounding these woods, but it had never been more than just a few families wanting to live in a supposedly peaceful place. The children often played in the woods and this rock here was their favourite place to spend time. Around here lived a girl. She was a young child. One day she played at the rock with other children, as always, but when the sky became dark, others left. Also did the girl, but on the way home she noticed that she had forgotten her necklace on the rock. Hurriedly she ran back. In the dark she couldn’t find the place, and soon she was lost. The girl wandered in the woods for long, until she saw a dot of light far away. She thought that her family had come searching for her, so she opted to walk towards that light. The nearer the girl got, the more she heard voices that she assumed to be calling her. When the girl reached the light, it wasn’t her family. It was the rock. Its was shining in shades of green and blue, and otherworldly voices talked and singed in an unknown language. Suddenly the necklace wasn’t so important anymore. The frightened child knew the way home from the stone and ran home quickly. At first nobody believed her story, but when more people came here to live, more sightings with the same kind of story were reported. So they all concluded that the ‘speaking’ stone is the meeting place of the faeries. That’s how they started calling it a ‘Soundstone’. The village grew over time, and soon it became the name of the town. But, from the gossips I’ve heard during working in Sigh, the sightings haven’t stopped from increasing…” The story was ended with a mysterious smile. 

The wind sang while jostling the trees on its way. Every single sound near the stone got the American even more uncomfortable. Alfred couldn’t break the heavy atmosphere Arthur had just created between them.

“This is just a legend, isn’t it?” he managed to say. 

Arthur’s grin got wider. He was obviously amused by Alfred's reaction. 

“Well, we do not know. It is an old story, not written anywhere, so it must have changed many times when travelling from a generation to another”, he smirked. 

Somehow, Alfred didn’t feel as comfortable sitting on the stone anymore.

“Could we go to your house now? It’s getting cold here…” he said, obviously exaggerating as they jumped off the rock. Arthur had a cocky smirk on his face as they left.

When they finally reached Arthur’s home, the Englishman hurriedly started filling the table as always. Alfred waited at the table, sitting on a chair as he watched him with those admiring eyes. 

Oh yes, he had a little crush on the Brit. 

While their tea drinking had become a daily habit (although Alfred drank coffee), they stayed on the table for hour or two, just talking about everything or nothing, important or not, and the treats on the table always got forgotten in the end when speaking got all the attention from the boys. 

They loved the silence as they loved the noise – just if it was caused by the other. They had the routine of meeting each other without ever getting tired. Alfred loved his company. 

“Hey, Al, I got an idea. If you’d call your grandmother so you could stay here for the night, and we’d go out seeing if the rumours are true?” Arthur chimed in excitement as he poured black coffee into Alfred’s cup. The boy’s face didn’t express much support for the idea.

“Are you sure that it’s okay…? I mean, I’d gladly stay here, but dude, I don’t think that there is any common sense by going at some stupid rock because of some rumors”, Alfred pouted. Arthur smirked ominously. 

“Oh dear, you aren’t saying that you really got scared of it…?” he started chuckling as Alfred’s face got redder. “Besides, this town doesn’t have that kind of bad old men.”

“I’m not scared! Why would I be? Fine, I’ll come”, Alfred announced. “If we would do this in my home town, it could have really bad consequences, because it’s not a little village like this place.” Obviously the latter comment amused Arthur who smirked again.

And so, after the evening turned into a night, the two boys got out of the house. While trying to be quiet they walked until the woods were just in front of them.

“So… Are we going now?” the unsure American asked. The idea didn’t allure him.

Without even giving an answer the Brit continued walking to a trail that would eventually lead them to the rock. Reluctantly Alfred stepped behind him, suspecting every little cracking sound that wasn’t theirs. In the halfway of the trail, Arthur lowered their speed until they stopped. 

“What is it?” Alfred was a little concerned, but curious. Why did he stop? But then, Alfred noticed it too.

Not too far away, there was a shiny dot. Strange, distant voices came from the same direction. The dot flickered frequently. 

For a moment that felt like hours they stood there, not letting a single sound. 

Silently Arthur turned his head to Alfred’s direction with widened eyes, and they both knew what they would do next: run.

So the boys run out of the woods with a high-pitched scream escaping from their throats as they rushed through the town (waking up a lot of people) until they got back to Arthur’s apartment, choking and sweating from the run. They spent a moment in silent, just looking at each other, and then they burst to laughing loudly.

“What the heck was that! Okay, Artie, you’ll have to promise that we’re never going into the woods at dark again, I was so scared that I would’ve crapped my pants if we had stayed there even a second longer”, Alfred breathed, after they had laughed enough.

“Alright, alright, you were right… But at least we learnt something”, he grinned, taking a bottle of coke out of fridge. 

“More like you learned that you should listen to me more”, Alfred beamed playfully, letting himself to sit on the kitchen chair as Arthur gave them both a glass of the bubbly drink. And so the night went on, laughing and watching movies until they both got asleep on the couch.

If the boys would have been more attentive, they surely would have noticed that the light and the noise were caused by teenagers of the town, who kept little parties inside the woods due to the disturbance it could have made if they had stayed in the town. The stone instead wasn’t at the spot the teenagers spent time, so its mystery still stayed unsolved by these two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the last chapter I had written for this story. At that point I had gotten better at writing in English, so there wasn't much that I wanted to change. It seems that I had edited some of the chapters already, because I remember having written some quite odd things in the original.  
> Those times I had watched a lot of English comedies that really made me fall in love with the country, especially the smaller cities with lovely scenery. With the summer being beautiful in my country when I was writing this, I had an idea of what would be the dream vacation for me. Some secluded small town with nice people and no haste!!


End file.
